Improvement in book-covers



J. D. NETS. 'Book-Covers'.

Patented No-v.r3,1874.

' side of a book.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-Ion,

JOHID. METS, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

' IMPROVEMENT IN BooK-COVERS.

`Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,588, dated November 3, 1874; application filed October 6, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. METs, of Dubuque, eounty of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new land useful Improvement in Book-Covers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a face view of one side ofthe cover finished. Fig. 2 is a section of the same from front to rear. Fig. 3is an edge view, looking at the front; Fig. 4, a section in the line x w of Fig. 2, the protecting-strips being shownout of their grooves in full lines, and in the grooves in dotted lines.

The nature of my invention consists, irst,

in making book-cover boards with a groove in their edges extending along the front and ends of each of the book-cover boards, and finishing such boards with edge-protecting bands or strips of ebony or other hard'smooth substance, such as ivory, hard rubber, or like analogous material, by forming their inner portions on these bands, and letting these thin portions into the grooves of the boards, and uniting the ends of the pieces forming the edge-protecting bands by interlocking miter-joints, as will be presently described.

A represents the cover or board for one This is made of pasteboard or other similar material. B B1 B2 is a groove formed in the edge of the board at front and both ends. This groove is made by having the cover or board made of three pieces, the intermediate one of the three pieces being that much smaller than the outside pieces as is the depth of the groove desired to be formed at the ends and front edges ofthe board or cover proper. These pieces are united firmly together by paste, as' usual, in making up book boards or covers. The rear edges of all the pieces terminate at the same point, and there is no groove formed at that edge of the board or cover. C C1 O2 is a protecting band or strip, which is fitted upon the edge and ends of the board or cover. This band is preferably formedoi` ebony, and in cross-sectionit is similar to the letter T in form. The thicker or outer portion of the T-shaped pieces is as thick as the board or cover of the book, while the thinner or inner portion is just about as thick as the width of the groove B. The thicker portions of the end pieces Cl O2 are cut away, so as to form miter-joint shoulders at their front corners, and the front piece is mitered off at each end of its thicker portion, and cut away at right angles at each end of its thinner portion, as represented. y

By this construction, when the pieces are inserted into the groove B B1 B2, the end pieces interlock with the front pieces, and a miter abuttingjoint is also formed, all as shown in the drawings.

The invention herein described is an improvement on my cover board, band, or strip iiled in the Patent Office in 1874, and is preferred to the same, because it can be put on the book in very much less time looks neater when on the book, can be manufactured in quantities and kept on hand without dangerv of drawing v or warping to such an extent as to make them inconvenient for use, and is very much stronger when on the book, there being no danger of splitting or cracking the wood in putting the band on the book; and withal, can be manufactured at less cost, and will be more generally preferred by the trade than my above-mentioned first plan of board or book cover, band, or strip.

The pieces forming edge-protecting strips C are glued at their mitered corners, and` pressed into their places, and if desired, rivets may be used at the mitered corners, inserted at the points a a, or any other suitable material for attaching the bands or strips to the book-eovers or boards of the book may be adopted.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. As a new article of manufacture, the three-sided protecting-border 'for book-cover boards, formed of pieces which are of T-form, in transverse section, and which are united at their corners, as specified.

2.' Cover-boards A for books, formed of separate pieces united together', the intermediate piece thereof being formed to terminate short of the front edges and ends of the outside or upper and under pieces, for the purpose of forming a groove, B B1 B2, for the reception of the tongue of the protecting band or strip C C1 C2 in the cover-board, substantially as described.

portion abutting against the front edge and ends of the board, substantially in the man- JNO. D. METS. `Witnesses:

M. H. BEACH, W. B. RICE. 

